Problem: In the diagram, points $U$, $V$, $W$, $X$, $Y$, and $Z$ lie on a straight line with $UV=VW=WX=XY=YZ=5$.  Semicircles with diameters $UZ$, $UV$, $VW$, $WX$, $XY$, and $YZ$ create the shape shown.  What is the area of the shaded region?
[asy]
size(5cm); defaultpen(fontsize(9));
pair one = (1, 0);
pair u = (0, 0); pair v = u + one; pair w = v + one; pair x = w + one; pair y = x + one; pair z = y + one;
path region = u{up}..{down}z..{up}y..{down}x..{up}w..{down}v..{up}u--cycle;
filldraw(region, gray(0.75), linewidth(0.75));
draw(u--z, dashed + linewidth(0.75));

// labels
label("$U$", u, W); label("$Z$", z, E);
label("$V$", v, 0.8 * SE); label("$X$", x, 0.8 * SE);
label("$W$", w, 0.8 * SW); label("$Y$", y, 0.8 * SW);
[/asy]
Solution: The area of a semi-circle with radius $r$ is $\frac{1}{2}\pi r^2$ so the area of a semi-circle with diameter $d$ is $\frac{1}{2}\pi \left( \frac{1}{2}d \right)^2 = \frac{1}{8}\pi d^2$.

The semicircles with diameters $UV$, $VW$, $WX$, $XY$, and $YZ$ each have equal diameter and thus equal area.  The area of each of these semicircles is $\frac{1}{8}\pi(5^2)=\frac{25}{8}\pi$.

The large semicircle has diameter $UZ = 5(5)=25$, so has area $\frac{1}{8}\pi (25^2)=\frac{625}{8}\pi$.

The shaded area equals the area of the large semicircle, minus the area of two small semicircles, plus the area of three small semicircles, which equals the area of the large semicircle plus the area of one small semicircle. Therefore, the shaded area equals $$\frac{625}{8}\pi + \frac{25}{8}\pi = \frac{650}{8}\pi = \boxed{\frac{325}{4}\pi}.$$